News Archive - March 2016

Roadside stops see driver arrested for overstaying UK visa

A driver who was pulled over during roadside checks has been arrested for overstaying his UK visa.

The police team in Basildon conducted automatic plate recognition checks in the area earlier this week (Wednesday 2 March) and stopped a 43-year-old man who had been living in Middlesex but was found to have overstayed his UK visa, The Echo News reported.

The individual's details were passed on to the UK immigration officials to pursue.

The arrest comes shortly after a worker was arrested in another area of Essex for overstaying his UK visa. The 48-year-old man was arrested at a restaurant in Canvey and was detained by immigration officers.

Richard Lederle, assistant director from Immigration Enforcement spoke to Echo News about the arrests: “There will be no slow down in our efforts to tackle illegal working in Essex. Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime

“It defrauds the treasury of much needed funds, undercuts businesses who ply an honest trade and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities. There are simple checks employers can carry out to ensure their employees have the right to work in the UK. Those who choose to ignore the rules will face the consequences.”

Employees looking to work in the UK need to obtain a legitimate work permit, which requires several stages to be completed.

To qualify, workers from outside the EU need to ensure that they have in place a confirmed offer of employment from a licensed UK employer who will act as your sponsor and a Certificate of Sponsorship issued by your sponsoring employer. It is also necessary to pass a points-based assessment before qualifying for the permit. More details can be found here.